Beyond Sherwood Forest

I have to say, I bought this film for two reasons after I stumbled upon it at a Silver Platters store. I am a self-professed Robin Hood junkie- every film adaption I can get my hands on, I willingly try to buy- ranging from the 1930's Errol Flynn version to the BBC series...I think I have about 10 different movie versions at the moment. Secondly, Erica Durance is in it as Marian and I absolutely loved her as Lois Lane on Smallville- she was everything in this that she is in Smallville: beautiful, feisty, spirited, yet compassionate. I have to say, I found this film very, very entertaining. Its not by any means an Oscar worthy movie with A-list acting and a Christopher Nolan script- but its entertainment value is endless, especially for a made-for-TV movie. I mean, come on, its Robin Hood vs. a dragon!? It's got adventure, romance, sci-fi, monsters, beautiful scenery, a fun cast- what's not to love? I thought the actors did a fine job, the special effects were good, and I thought the interplay between the characters was great- from the flirtation between Robin and Marian, to Little John complaining about being hungry, to the tense relationship between Robin and Will, to Alina's pleading to the unfeeling Malcolm. I think you have to give credit to the writer's too for creating a unique plot for such a frequently adapted tale; its definitely unlike any other Robin Hood adaption- it goes beyond (like the title) your typical rob-the-rich-to- feed-the-poor Robin Hood plot. They found a way to create a new twist and I really appreciate that about the film. Even the way Robin Hood questions himself (as do the other characters) is a bit different- in other adaptions, Robin usually has no qualms about what he's doing and is a bit roguish and cocky, and everyone is pleased with him, rather than angry with his provoking the monarchy. This Robin almost seeks approval in a way, while still maintaining those lovable snarky swashbuckler qualities. I have to say, Robin Dunne may be one of my favorite Robin Hood actors (and also one of the handsomest ;) )- up there with the likes of Richard Todd (the Disney live-action version), Errol Flynn, and Jonas Armstrong (of course, my opinion). So, if you are looking for just simple entertainment, this is for you. If you are expecting Inception or Gladiator- you will be disappointed.

There are four reasons to watching this film-- the CGI were-dragon, Katherine Isabelle as Alina the were-dragon, the CGI wolf-lions, and Erica Durance as Marian. The were-dragon sequences are incredibly well done and very realistic. The creature's design is distinctive, with a body like a winged puma. The transformations are very well done, limited only by Katherine Isabelle's refusal to do more than bare her shoulders or back for scenes where she should be nude. The animators get around this fairly well although it is obviously the nude Alina at the beginning of the transformation is a Poserette. Katherine Isabelle, who played the title character from the GINGER SNAPS series, is great at playing troubled, distressed, terminally sad characters. She's right up her alley here. She really does steal the film with her portrayal of the tragic Alina. Okay, her refusal to do nude scenes did limit the filmmakers somewhat. In scenes where she is ostensibly nude and vulnerable, Miss Isabelle is only shown from the shoulders up. The filmmakers couldn't afford to pay for her usual body double? The lion-like wolves in "Beyond" section of Sherwood Forest are quite believable as well. They are a nicely executed hybrid of natural wolf and magical hell-beast. Their interaction with their would-be human victims is spot-on. Erica Durance..... anything from her post-Smallville debut is worth watching just for a chance to watch her. She gets a few action scenes in, either practicing on a helpless dummy or fighting the were-dragon Alina. And she looks great in a medieval pantsuit.

Bad points? Robin Dunne, Robin Dunne, and Robin Dunne. He was at best phoning in his performance. Apparently no one taught him how to believably fire an arrow. The few times you see him fire an arrow, it is obvious the arrow only flew a dozen feet before dropping to the floor.

All in all, there was no reason to call this "Robin Hood" aside from the chance to skip over explaining who these various characters were. Friar Tuck for example shows up, talks to Robin and Marian a little, then gets killed. By calling him "Friar Tuck" the filmmakers spared themselves the five minutes or so of screen time they'd've needed to set him up as an original character.

I don't have any new Simon Cowell to add, so I'll only go into depth about what was good about this film: not a whole heck of a lot, but it was batting 1.000 when the guy came up with the idea. (I'm really interested in this genre since Origin Systems stopped producing Ultima) That idea was that a young woman who comes from another world (a murky one at that!) is somehow cursed for breaking a law and spends part of her day as a winged monster. A cynical government-actor captures her to use her as a weapon. This story is woven into a Robin Hood one. (How that last part works, I don't know, but I guess someone else does.) Unfortunately, the movie kept putting me to sleep (figuratively) so I missed some of the finer points of the plot.

The acting and English accents have a serious credibility problem, the dialogue isn't exactly chancy, and sometimes the seams show on the CGI. I don't think the plot was executed in a very good way either. There was a romantic dimension, but that looked like they remembered to throw it in at the last minute.

There are a couple of things that I can respect a movie like this for: one is that it didn't have a lot of silly modern slang (the worst was a single "a little help"). Also, while Katharine Isabelle does show a lot of skin, there is no bona fide nudity (possibly because Isabelle refuses to do any). A movie like this should be going for such cheap thrills, but it doesn't. Good for it!

I wish it was Steven Spielberg who'd gotten ahold of this idea. I think it would have made a fine story, but instead what we have is typical Canadian B.

Had a conversation with friends the other day where we discussed the worst film we had ever seen. I found it difficult to answer. Having seen this in the meantime the answer is obvious (to me at least). This is truly one of the worst films I have ever seen. Whoever threw money at this tripe really should know better

Acting is horrible, director sesms to not care, no effort at consistency. The script isn't good, full of stereotypical lines but any chance of it coming across better is ruined by the acting and directing. The special effects are horrible

Avoid at all costs. Its time of your life you will never get back.

the only question is why Julian Sands accept this role ? because it is only a poor film, with not inspired script, director or actors, using for transform a classic story old clichés and bad solutions. unconvincing, almost fake, a story about nothing, it is not a real surprise. only , maybe, waste of time. but that could not be a sin. the theme, the mixture of revenge, love story, fantastic in chaotic proportions is not a surprise. but it represents a good occasion to discover new forms of it. so, no Sherwood, no Robin Hood or Marian. only a kind of fairy tale who has not sense, humor or nice details. the choice of lead actors was not the best, the fight scenes are sketches, the technology is far to be decent. but, that is not a sin. except the high expectation.